Lessons to be Learned from Strongmen, the Modern Titans

Our latest post comes from the wonderful and talented Samantha Olivier from Ripped.me. We’re delighted to have Samantha featured on the site again and know you’ll enjoy her latest piece.

Some things never grow old, or they even age like wine. Strongmen rise as champions in the most formidable arenas and forge their muscles in the fires of most astonishing physical activity. These behemoths have proved that some rules are set in stone, and that following them brings stellar results. They look as if nothing can stand in their way, ready to take down a mountain with bare hands if need be. So, what is there to be learned from these professionals who always seem to perform to the best of their ability?

Foundations of excellence

The lessons that can be learned cover not only physical, but also mental excellence. Strongman competitions are arenas where one must not let anything stand in the way of physical performance and inner focus. Physical strain and demanding competitions weigh heavily on the mind, apart from going hard on the bodies. Everyone messes up sometimes, even the best of the best. The trick is to pick yourself up and learn from your mistakes.

Before you know it, the next competition comes and you need to leave regret, self-pity, and frustration behind. It is not that strongmen do not get consumed by anger. What separates them from the lesser mortals is an ability to burn that excess anger and deal with it privately, using personal rituals. Prior to spotlight time, they do not walk around nervously, busting their heads. They switch to a different mindset for building confidence and utilize techniques such as box breathing in order to relax.

Furthermore, anxiety is something that we all have to cope with. What strongmen do is melt that notion with the art of impeccable preparation. This involves making yourself ready for all the possible scenarios, including a change of rules, mean competitors trying to push you out of balance, poor organization of the event, media pestering, etc. They also must prepare the necessary equipment because they cannot rely on others to do it for them.

Walk among the titans

Brute strength can make a difference, but without a flawless technique, it is not worth much among the titans of sport. It takes an incredible amount of time and effort to perfect it, and you have to train in a way which emulates the real thing. If you are troubled by potential mistakes, well make them in the gym, before you enter the real arena. And note that strongmen do not like gimmicks and unnecessary complexity. Their training routines are on-point, simple and highly-effective.

If you want to look at how others do it, always focus on those who have proved their worth over and over again, displaying incredible mental and physical feats worthy of true giants. Embracing the strongmen mentality could help you take on any challenge in life. So, do you have the mental tenacity, physical capacity, can rely on quality gym wear, and have a plan in store? With the path seared into your brain, and your body prepared for the trials and tribulations ahead, not much can go wrong.

Remember that when you push your body to the limits, it is mental strength that allows you to go an extra mile. Strongmen know exactly what to eat, when to relax and rest, and how to train. This holistic approach allows them to reach their full potential, unlike people who make the mistake of training too often and hard, hoping that will take them far. And if you think your troubles are menacing, how about not being able to walk to the bathroom the morning after a competition? Compared to what strongmen face, your problems probably look petty.

Reaching new heights

Famous strongmen always stand as true paragons of physical greatness. They do not carry the weight of the past, they are focused on what lies ahead. So, strive to push the boundaries: start small, but never seize dreaming big. You do not want to just survive another day in the gym, but to bounce off its walls. The path to dazzling success is paved with blood, sweat and tears, not daydreaming, grief, and self-doubt. These things spiral downward quickly and never let you see the heights of strongman-grade grandeur.

Advertisements

Share this:

Like this:

Related

Conor Heffernan

Conor is currently researching Ireland's physical culture movement as a PhD student at University College Dublin. When not in the library or the gym, he likes to try his hand at writing....with mixed results.

1Comment

Re: “IDC:Changes in Spatial Information Management That Will Impact Most IT Comrnnies(Commeatapy on this release here)”That commentary is not really commentary – it’s a rewrite of the PR. That’s what publications sometimes do to make it look like they didn’t just reprint the PR.